Vaccination

I am 41 yrs old, have a degree in biochemistry, and have 2 daughters old enough to get this vaccine. I will not do it. the problem i have is that it only 'protects' against only a small percentage of strains of hpvs. condoms will offer better protection against all strains of hpv, aids, all other sexually transmitted diseases, and pregnancy. (of course abstaining would work best!). don't be fooled by the marketing. most docs are just puppets to the drug companies, sad but true. educating my girls on how to protect themselves will help them more than a shot.

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This will be one vaccine my daughter will definitely NOT get. There have been reports of girls dying from this vaccine, passing, out, etc. I definitely feel that the risks severely outweigh the benefits. Plus, this vaccine only prevents certain types of hpv - there are tons of types out there. So even with this vaccine you still have to be worried about hpv. I definitely say to do more research - I think you will be shocked with what you find.

I just read on another site that (from a mom on www.justmommies.com): Gardasil went on sale in June 2006. As of the end of August 2007, the number of gardasil related adverse events recorded by VAERS (vaccine adverse event reporting system) has grown to 3,779, including 8 deaths.

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I'm the mom of a 14 year old, and I myself have the virus (hpv) this vaccine *may* protect women from. Some of the reasons I object to this vaccine are: there are 100s of strains of HPV, this vaccine protects against only a few of them. Considering how prolific the virus is, it's entirely possible this vaccine will lead to stronger mutations of the virus. The hype around this vaccine uses scare tactics. It plays on our fears of cancer. HPV doesn't always or even frequently cause cervical cancer. The virus often lays dormant, never causing an issue for the carried. When it does become active, regular pap smears should detect & the woman's doctor will suggest what course of action is best- it's not cancer at that stage, it's pre-cancerous cells which may also not become cancer even if untreated. I feel our health care dollars would be much better invested in promoting & educating women about yearly pap smears.
I read through the responses here after posting & just had to come back to edit my response.
It really irks me that so many people have such blind faith in their doctors, and are so quick to dismiss the experiences or research of other "regular" people. Your doctor's "training" on this product or any other was likely done by reps of the manufacture. Pharm. companies host events promoting their products; vacations, luncheons, dinners whatever and the doctors attending hear a sales pitch for the new cure-all. Not much different than the tactics used by telemarketers selling time share condos. Your average GP or pedi is no more involved with the research or testing of a drug than you or I. If your pedi has a child, perhaps they have chosen to do some independent reading on a subject or perhaps they too blindly follow the suggestions of the pharm companies or the government. But regardless, no one has the same vested interest in your child's well being as you do. I am not saying because of my opinion you shouldn't vax your child. I am saying this is my opinion, keep researching to find your own. Doctors are not infallible. Just a couple of decades ago, women with a risk of miscarriage were given DES, the effects of which their daughters are still suffering from today. Just a few decades ago women with morning sickness were given phlymidiline (spelling way off- caused flippers to grow instead of hands). If other moms are able to teach from their experiences, we'd be foolish not to consider their opinions.

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Hi Rosann,
I wouldn't do it. There have been so many reports of bad side effects. My opinion, for what it's worth is that they are using this generation of young women as guinea pigs.
This vaccine "protects" against genital warts(which is what causes this type of cervical cancer).
When the state of Texas was trying to make it mandatory, much information was revealed about the manufacturer... and the big push comes because they are in financial trouble. Here are a couple of links you can go to, to check this vaccine out.
http://skylarkofvaleron.blogspot.com/2006/06/fda-approves...

http://www.vaclib.org/basic/tenpenny/dangerofgardasil.html

Good luck with your decision. I personally would choose to teach my daughter safe/smart sex, the dangers of unprotected sex, and abstinence (for as long as possible)

I am the mother of a 26 year old son, and a 19 year old daughter. Both incredibly awesome kids!

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I wanted to add my two cents. I would not recommend this to anyone to do. The risks FAR outweigh the "good". Research, research and research!

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are you familiar with the phrase "Big Pharma"? Even if not...it should give you an inkling that many people think that as it stands, the AMA might not always have your best interests at heart. Too many drugs, too many invasive tests, too much surgery, too many vaccinations. At least this is one you can refuse. I do not know what I would do, however, if my daughter requested it.

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